Apparatus for the manufacture of gas



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, W. T. BATE. APPARATUS FOR THB MANUFAGTURE 0F GAS. No. 431,932.

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Patented July 8, 1890.

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W.. T. BATE. APPARATUS P0P PHP: MANUPAGTURP oP GAS.

No. 431,932. Patented July a, 1890.

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W. T. BATE. APPARATUS FOR THB MANUEAGTURE 0F GAS. No. 431,932. Patented July 8. 1890.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

lWILLIAM T. BATE, OF CONSHOHOCKEN, PENNSYLVANIA.

APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.1431,932, dated July 8, 1890.

Application filed August 16, 1886. Serial No. 211,031. (No model.) Patented in England December 11l 1888, No, 18,127.

composing steam, mixing hydrocarbon vapor therewith, and fixing the gas by effecting the intimate commingling of the decomposed steam and oil vapor under intense heat, my invention comprising certain improvelnents in the details of construction of gas apparatus of this character.

One of the objects of my invention is to so construct the top of the metal casing that the application of the lire-bricklin-ing can be readily effected and the joints protected, further obj ects being to provide for the ready removal of the tar from the wash-box, and to prevent the unsealing of the gas-pipes which terminate in said boX.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of a gas apparatus constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2, a plan view of part of the same, partly in section; Fig. 3, a longitudinal section, partly in elevation, of part of the apparatus on a larger scale than Fig. l; Fig. t, atransverse section, partly in elevation, on the line 1 2, Fig. 3; Fig. 5, a section, partly in elevation, on the line 3 4, Fig. 4; and Fig. 6 a perspective view of one of the blast-pipes shown in Fig. 4.

A represents the fire-box or furnace, andB the superheater or lining-chamber of gas apparatus, such as that to which my invention relates, the superheater having a dome D, which is provided with a valved elbow-pipe a, communicating with a hydraulic main or wash-box F, the discharge end or mouth of said elbow-pipe a being submerged in the water in said box. Usually two sets of such apparatus are placed side by side, the elbowpipes of both sets communicating with the wash-box, and the sets being worked alternately-that is to say, gas being made in one set while the products of combustion are being allowed to pass through the superheater of the other set, and to escape from the dome of the same into the smoke-stack, the valve in the elbow-pipe of the latter setbeing closed, and the valve b on the top of the dome being open, while in the set in which gas is being made the valve in the elbow-pipe is open and the valve at the top of the dome is closed. The lire-place and superheaters in such apparatus usually consist of an outer rectangular casing Gr of wrought-iron plates with a suitable fire-brick lining f.

In order to relieve the wrought-iron casings of each chamber from the strain due to the expansion of the fire-brick lining, I interpose between said casing and the lining a iilling g, preferably of loam, asbestus, or some other material which, while possessing a considerable degree of elasticity, will not be' inj uriously affected by the heat, this filling being compressed as the fire-brick lining expands, so that the outer metal 4casing of the chamber is not unduly strained by such expansion. The internal T-iron braces for the iron casing are placed vertically, as shown in Fig. 2, so as to permit the close packing of the filling between the ire-brick vlining and the casing and around said braces, the inwardly-proj ecting vertical ribs formed by the T-irons oifering no obstacle to such packing, and being, therefore, preferable to horizontal or transverse braces. The casing of the superheater B is at some distance from that yof the iireplace A, the two casings being connected by a neck h, so that while there is free communication from one chamber to the other, an air-space intervenes between the casings of the two chambers, and a similar air-space is formed between the chambers of one set of apparatus and those forming the adjoinf ing set, whereby a free circulation of air on all four sides of each chamber is provided, the heat transmitted to the metal casings of the chambers being rapidly radiated therefrom, and the said casings prevented from becoming so highly heated as to cause the plates of which they are composed to warp or buckle, and thus strain or disrupt the joints between the plates. I do not, however, claim as my invention the separation of the various structures of gas apparatus, as this has heretofore been proposed.

It is usual to complete the wroughtiron casingof each chamber before the application of the fire-brick lining thereto, thetop plate of each chamber having therein a central opening of a size sufficient to permit the introduction of the fuel or to permit the escape of the products of combustion. Vith an opening of suchcontracted area in the top plate, however, much difficulty is experienced in laying the bricks to form the lining of the chamber, owing i tothe fact that when the lining approaches the top of the chamber the bricks must be pushed into place laterally instead of being built up directly from above,.as in laying the lower courses. This results in defective lining of the chamber and causes the rapid burning out of said lining and of the wrought-iron casing. I therefore discard the usual plan of riveting thet'op plate directly to the angleiron, which extends around the sides of the casing at the top,and secure thereto instead a' flanged collar II', the area of the opening of which is-almost as great as that of the casing of the chamber; This collar therefore does not materially interfere, with the proper laying of the upper coursesof fire-bricks, of which the lining of the chamber is composed, and after these courses have been laid up to the level of the top of the collar the top plate His'appl-ied thereto and secured in position by'meansfof boltspassing through the external iiange at' the top of the collar through openings around the edges of the plate and through openings in a re-enforcing ring on the topi of the plate. These fastening devices-are therefore on the outside of the casing-,Where they arenot subjected to heat, and

are readily accessible whenever it becomes necessary to remove the top plate H of the casing for any purpose. Thetop plate has-a centralE domeI',which, in the case of the firebox, is provided with a detachable cover I', and'4 in the case of the superheater is extended vertically, so-as to receive the gas-discharge elbow-pipeca-and so'as to provide at its upper end a seat for the valve b;

The smoke-stack J is hung to the roof of the structure, as shown in Fig. l, or in any other convenient manner, the lower end or mouthv of the stack being of considerably greater area'I than the upper end or mouth of the dome, and being, preferably, some distaneeabove the same, so that air circulates freely'around the valve b at all times, and thus prevents such an excessive heating of said valve as would have an injurious effect upon the same, the valve, moreover, being at all times'readily accessible for inspection or repairs.

The structure in which the apparatus islocated is preferably provided withl transverse beams K, which serve as trucks for wheeled hangers K tlie'latter providing supports for tackle when it is desired to lift the dome or top plate from any of the chambers.

The hydraulic main or wash box F is mounted upon platforms M, supportedv upon suitable columns M at the end of the appawhen the wash-box is located on top of the gas-generating structure.

In order to clean the tar from the bottom of the wash-box and direct it to the dischargepipe N when the valve m, closing the mouth of the same, has been raised, I provide each end of the wash-box with a blast-pipe n, .that portion whichis within the box being spread and flattened, as shown in Fig. 6, these blastpipes being in connectionwith any-available source of 'steam-supply, so that the steam issues therefrom ina broad flat sheet close to the bottom of the box, the tar which: may have accumulated in thebox being softened under the influence of the heat, andl carried forward by the action ofV the jet until it escapes through the discharge-pipe N.

In the operation of duplex gas apparatus `ofthe character whichI have described and in which both gas-pipes communicatelv with the Waslr-box-one near each end-a violent ,surging of the water from end'to'end of the taneously with the inoW of gas through the `opposite pipe, this movement of-"the water being frequently such as to unseal the' mouth of the gas-inlet pipe and permit the hot gas therefrom to enterthewash-box without pass- .ing through thewat'er, and explosions some- .jtime's occur from this cause.

Y InY order to overcome this difficulty I provide the washbox at or about the center with a transverse -partition I), which terminates some distance from the bottom of the box, so tha-t while it does not cut off communication between the lopposite'ends'of the box it provides-anlopening of contracted area, through which the "water must pass in flowing from one end of the box tothe other, thereby preventing any ,1 suchl rapid' movement of the Water in' either direction as would permit a reduction of the levell in either end of the box sufficient to un- ?seal the 'mouth ofthe pipe communicating therewith. l`his-partition-plate also serves as a means of supporting a guide p for the vrod of the valve m.

Man-holes, provided with suitable covers s,

`are lformed in the opposite ends andA4 in the front of the wash-box, so that ready accessto 1 the interior of thesame can-be'hadwhenneeessary.

I do not claim, broadly, the use of a steam- `jet for the purpose of facilitating the discharge of the contents of a vesselhaving a-n `inclined bottom, as suchv a device hasv been resorted to in many cases.

The novel feature of this part of myinven- ,tion consists in providing the wash-box with a steam-pipe so formed as to discharge a broad fiat sheet or sheets of steam close tothe IOC IIO

inclined bottom of the box and thereby thoroughly clear the same of tar.

Independently-supported wash-boxes have also been proposed; but I am not aware that such a box has been combined with a straight tar-discharging pipe leading vertically downward from the bottom of the same, for the purpose of insuring the free and unobstructed discharge of the tar; and hence my claim on this feature of the invention is limited to the specific combination mentioned.

A hydraulic main has been provided with a sealing-box partitioned so as to form a chamber for each dip-pipe; but this box was only intended for occasional use, the dip-pipes being under ordinary circumstances unsealed.

The partition in my wash-box, on the con trary, is part of the permanent structure, and its very purpose is to prevent the unsealing of either of the dip-pipes. The partitions in the sealing-box above referred to, moreover, extended to the bottom of the box; and hence divided the same into a number of non-communicating chambers, whereas the partition in my wash-box is discontinued some distance from the bottom of the box, so as not to interfere with the proper iiow of water from one end of the box to the other.

A hydraulic main has also been provided with a longitudinal partition parallel with the pipes, and discontinued some distance from the bottom of the box; but it will be evident that such a longitudinal partition is not capable of attaining the object of my transverse partition between the dip-pipes, as it is incapable of preventing rapid iiow of water from one end of the box to the other.

I therefore claim as my invention- 1. The combination, in a gas-generating structure, of the fire-brick lining, the side plates of the metal casing, a top plate, and a collar having upper and lower ianges, the lower iiange being secured by an angle-bar to the upper portions of the side plates and the upper iiange being bolted to the top plate so that the latter can be readily applied. or removed after the building up of the brickwork lining of the casing, substantially as specified.

2. The combination of the wash-box having an inclined bottom with outlet at the lowest point, and a blast-pipe having its discharge-mouth iiattened and widened, as set forth, whereby a broad flat sheet of steam directed toward the outlet is discharged close to the bottom of the wash-box, all substantially as specified.

3. The combination of the ixedwash-box having dip-pipes communicating with the same near each end and extending at all times below the normal level of the sealing-liquid in the box, with a transverse shield, whereby the rapid passage of water from one endl of the box to the other is obstructed and the unsealing of either dip-pipe thereby prevented, all substantially as specified.

4. The combination of the wash-box having a supply of sealing-liquid, with opposite dippipes, and the interposed transverse obstructing-shield discontinued some distance from the bottom of the wash-box, all substantially as specified.

1n testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

VILLIAM T. BATE.

Vitnesses:

JOHN E. PARKER, HARRY SMITH. 

